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Fed Unlikely to Trim Bond Buying in October

Shutdown Upends Timing, Though Officials Could Act in December or January

By

Jon Hilsenrath

Oct. 17, 2013 7:27 p.m. ET

The government shutdown might be over, but the long-running drama about when the Federal Reserve will start scaling back its $85 billion-a-month bond-buying program might now last longer.

Just a few months ago, the Fed seemed to be on track to start pulling the program back by September in response to an improving economy. Now, it isn't clear when the first move will occur.

The Fed is unlikely to start curtailing its bond...

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Shutdown Snarls Fed's Bond-Buying Tapering Plans

Blame it on the shutdown: The disruptions to government economic data will muddy the Fed's assessment of the economy's health for months and likely delay any plans to taper its bond-buying program. Jon Hilsenrath reports. Photo: Getty Images.